Small flashes of hope ("aplastamiento" de la curva) and China and USA are already preparing a possible vaccine, but then we know that in Italy the number of deaths has skyrocketed and will soon exceed that of China. At the same time, we know that by the signal from the mobile phones the Italian Government has learned that in Lombardy, 40% of the population continues to move up and down freely 😫

Everyone is in our houses and if we need to go out, do it with a mask, gloves, and more than a meter from any other person, whoever they are!

CV-19_Coronavirus - Tibidabo_Barcelona.jpg

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The Tibidabo Hill just front of Barcelona, formerly bright and crowded and now empty and dark

Scientists found that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was detectable in aerosols for up to three hours, up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel. The results provide key information about the stability of SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19 disease, and suggests that people may acquire the virus through the air and after touching contaminated objects.

The NIH scientists, from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases' Montana facility at Rocky Mountain Laboratories, compared how the environment affects SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-1, which causes SARS. SARS-CoV-1, like its successor now circulating across the globe, emerged from China and infected more than 8,000 people in 2002 and 2003. SARS-CoV-1 was eradicated by intensive contact tracing and case isolation measures and no cases have been detected since 2004. SARS-CoV-1 is the human coronavirus most closely related to SARS-CoV-2. In the stability study the two viruses behaved similarly, which unfortunately fails to explain why COVID-19 has become a much larger outbreak.

The NIH study attempted to mimic virus being deposited from an infected person onto everyday surfaces in a household or hospital setting, such as through coughing or touching objects. The scientists then investigated how long the virus remained infectious on these surfaces.

The scientists highlighted additional observations from their study:

If the viability of the two coronaviruses is similar, why is SARS-CoV-2 resulting in more cases? Emerging evidence suggests that people infected with SARS-CoV-2 might be spreading virus without recognizing, or prior to recognizing, symptoms. This would make disease control measures that were effective against SARS-CoV-1 less effective against its successor.
In contrast to SARS-CoV-1, most secondary cases of virus transmission of SARS-CoV-2 appear to be occurring in community settings rather than healthcare settings. However, healthcare settings are also vulnerable to the introduction and spread of SARS-CoV-2, and the stability of SARS-CoV-2 in aerosols and on surfaces likely contributes to transmission of the virus in healthcare settings.

The findings affirm the guidance from public health professionals to use precautions similar to those for influenza and other respiratory viruses to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2:

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

They have now closed the US-Canada boarder except for special circumstances. General Motors say that they a stopping all North American production. don't need a new car or truck. Even some motels and hotels closed, like New Mexico.

Peter L has extensively discussed the current and probable near term health aspects of the Coronavirus outbreak, but what he has not discussed is the upcoming very major ramifications to the world's economies.
Just now we are seeing the first glimpses of worldwide recession. The US stock market is off nearly 33% in just a month. People with little money have less and/or no job. People with significant money now suddenly have a lot less.

Millions laid off from work. Millions with reduced work hours. Millions with significant financial hits. In addition to those who will have medical bills.

For all our forum posters, the least of people concerns will be their hobbies and collections. Mineral shows are just now beginning to be cancelled. The cancellations will increase, probably well into this summer.
In the US, the August East Coast Show and the September Denver Show are at risk. In Europe, I strongly suspect that the Ste Marie (SMAM) show will be cancelled. Maybe even to the October Munich Show.....who knows.

Even if those shows were to take place, there might very well be a significant reduction in attendance and sales. I suspect fewer out of town visitors willing to travel and spend money until well after this whole situation resolves itself and their finances become back to firm ground.
Any overly optimistic individual now seems like the proverbial Nero, fiddling while all around him Rome is burning!

I thought I was already the gloomiest poster on the thread, so didn't want to get into the economic shock we are all in for. II think it will be MAJOR, worldwide. For myself, personally it is already a disaser. I do scientific editing and teaching. Teaching has ended without pay and my clients for editing of their scientific papers are all off work and confuses and not sending papers for editing...so my income has gone to zero in per month!...WITH BILLS TO PAY! This will be a HUGE economic shock to all but the most well off...the rest of us are in for a big fall. I don't expect the government 'bail-outs' will help very much - or not to all that need it. What is needed is a moratorium on rent, utilitity bills, mortgage payments, loan payments etc.

Thank goodness for the internet, or I think I'd already have gone 'mad'...and this is just the beginning of a looooong period out of a bad science fiction film.....

The latest 'rule' here in Czech Republic is that anyone over 65 [like me] can ONLY go to shops between 10 and noon!...which I think is a bit stupid and punitive. We can still go to parks and Nature and I'm taking advantage of that - as they may soon forbid that!

That rule for people 65+ is that they SHOULD go shopping 10-12am, they can go also in other times, it's highly discouraged though. But people below 65 must avoid shopping between 10-12 am. Its not the best solution, but at least it provides some little extra protection to the most vulnerable.

What service do you exactly provide? Maybe some colleagues at Masaryk University need some service, I can ask. Please PM, to avoid spamming this thread.

Another show casualty: I have just been informed by Marie Huizing, editor of R & M and member of the Cincinnati Mineral Society that the
Cincinnati Mineral Show, scheduled for May 1 - May 2 has been cancelled.

If there is any good news in all this, be aware that 9 months after all these "stay at home" situations there is a baby boom. This time will be no exception! The time to recruit new youngster mineral collectors is coming! Bob Harman

The spring is coming to Barcelona with promises and hopes for a better time.
Many cannot see it because they are confined to their homes, but it comes, and when this nightmare passes we will still see new leaves and we will see flowers at the tips of the branches

Getting a bit stir crazy, so we took a drive about 60 miles west of Houston to the rolling hill country, Chappell Hill, Independence and Brenham (home of world famous Blue Bell ice cream). The bluebonnets have just starting to bloom along with Indian paintbrush. Stocked up on some canned goods ;-). Hopefully we can make a trip out here in 2 weeks when the bluebonnets are at their peak.

We had 8 inches of snow yesterday, which makes me REALLY appreciate the pictures from Texas. One of my neighbors posted a couple of days ago that she wasn't going to do anything the gummit (government) says! You can't fix stupid.

A week has passed since the "Estado de Alarma" was announced. We already know what it is and how it hurts and without forgetting that the worst is still coming, we have to pass the mourn the best we can and not forget that with the Spring will come the desire for Life.

At 8 PM every day the people who are locked up at home go out to the balconies, windows and terraces and applaud, launch fireworks and make all kinds of sounds, and do it dedicated to the health care people, doctors and all the personnel related with the world of medicine who are struggling daily in the face of the horror.

Just made it back to our home in Canada from Tucson and started our voluntary two week self-isolation period, as requested by Health Canada. It takes 4 long days of driving to get here, especially since I am carrying almost 900 lbs of mineral specimens. It was interesting to see the escalation of response to the virus, as we made our 3,500 kilometer voyage back.

In our small northern town, only essential services are open, and grocery store shelves are bare of many of the essential foods. Fortunately we have friends delivering our groceries for us and I can use the isolation period to catalog my Tucson purchases.

Hope everyone in the FMF community is safe and observing some form of isolation.

In the preceding post, I wrote that I'm at home after a surgery. In our company, it's a tradition to receive a "good recovery" card signed by your coworkers and a chocolate box. Very happy when I got the package yesterday, but back to the hard reality when I saw that only one person signed it but grateful with my company that every employee can work from home.

Michigan closed all schools K-12. Must study at home to keep your grades up. Hope every family has devices at home? Yesterday the State school board said that none of that will apply and may hinder graduation. Parents and teachers are up set. Governor said that she will look into it. I went to the beach at Lake Michigan today and found a few interesting rocks. Then found the local rock shop was open and bought a few fossil items. One plus is that my area had very few snow days.

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